By: Dr David Himbara
It is only fourteen days into 2020, but General Paul Kagame has already begun his global tours. He landed in Abu Dhabi on January 13, 2020. He will no doubt proceed to the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland, which will take place from January 21 to January 24, 2020. The gentleman barely lives in Rwanda — in 2019, he attended 59 overseas events. Will 2020 see the same global lunatic tours? The 2019 tours went as follows:
1. Attending the Doha Forum | Doha, Qatar, 14 December 2019
2. Attending the 9th Summit of the ACP Heads of States and Governments| Nairobi, Kenya, 9 December 2019
3. Attending the G20 Compact with Africa Investment Summit | Berlin, Germany, 19 November 2019
4. Attending Africa Investment Forum | Johannesburg, South Africa, 11 November 2019
5. Attending Russia-Africa Summit | Sochi, Russia, 23–24 October 2019
6. State Visit to Central African Republic | Bangui, Central African Republic, 15 October 2019
7. Attending the 8th CGECI Academy (Confédération Générale des Entreprises de Côte d’Ivoire) | Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, 14 October 2019
8. Attending World Policy Conference 2019 | Marrakesh, Morocco, 12 October 2019
9. Attending Rwanda Day Germany | Bonn, Germany, 5 October 2019
10. Visiting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation | Seattle, USA, 2 October 2019
11. Participating in World Leaders Forum — Columbia University | New York, USA, 26 September 2019
12. Delivering statement at the 74th United Nations General Assembly — General Debate | New York, USA, 24 September 2019
13. Holding Presidential Advisory Council Meeting | New York, USA, 22 September 2019
14. Visiting Kenya | Nairobi, 18 September 2019
15. Attending Tokyo International Conference on African Development | Yokohama, Japan, 27 August 2019
16. Attending G7 Meeting | Biarritz, France, 24 August 2019
17. Attending Quadripartite Summit | Luanda, Angola, 21 August 2019
18. Making a state visit to Namibia |Windhoek, 20 August 2019
19. Attending launch of SDGs Sub-Regional Centre for Southern Africa | Lusaka, 7 August 2019
20. Witnessing signing of Peace and Reconciliation Agreement | Maputo, Mozambique, 6 August 2019
21. Meeting with the Prince of Wales at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, UK | July 23, 2019
22. Attending Quadripartite Summit | Luanda, Angola, 12 July 2019
23. Attending Extraordinary African Union Summit | Niamey, Niger, 7 July 2019
24. Making state visit to Botswana | Gaborone, 28 June 2019
25. Attending Madagascar on the 59th Anniversary of Independence, 27 June 2019
26. Attending European Development Days| Brussels, Belgium, 19 June 2019
27. Attending national Democracy Day| Abuja, Nigeria, 12 June 2019
28. Attending Anti-Corruption Summit | Abuja, Nigeria, 11 June 2019
29. Visiting Gabon | Gabon, 10 June 2019
30. Attending his son’s graduation at Williams College |Williamstown, USA, June 2, 2019
31. Visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo | Kinshasa, 31 May 2019
32. Attending President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration, Pretoria, South Africa, 25 May 2019
33. Attending his daughter’s graduation at Columbia University |New York, USA, 19 May 2019
34. Meeting with Young Presidents’ Organization Paris Chapter |Paris, France, 17 May 2019
35. Attending VivaTech2019 | Paris, France, 17 May 2019
36. Attending 22nd Milken Institute Global Conference | Los Angeles, USA, 30 April 2019
37. Attending World Economic Forum Center for 4th Industrial Revolution Business Roundtable | San Francisco, USA, 29 April 2019
38. Attending Broadband Commission meeting for Sustainable Development | San Francisco, USA, 29 April 2019
39. Watching Basketball |Oakland, USA, 29 April 2019
40. Visiting Tarana Wireless Offices | San Francisco, USA, 28 April 2019
41. Attending AU Troika Summit on Libya and Sudan | Cairo, Egypt, 23 April 2019
42, Visiting Saddleback Church | California, USA, 14 April 2019
43. Attending UN reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda|United Nations Headquarters | New York, USA, 12 April 2019
44. Attending NBA Board of Governors Dinner | New York, USA, 11 April 2019
45. Attending swearing-in of President Macky Sall of Senegal |Dakar, Senegal, 2 April 2019
46. Working Visit to Angola | Luanda, Angola, 21 March 2019
47. Working visit to Tanzania | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 8 March 2019
48. Attending Young Presidents’ Organization | Cape Town, SouthAfrica, 5 — 6 March 2019
49. Attending Fespaco 2019 | Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 2 March 2019
50. Meeting with Business Leaders hosted by Hiinga | Charlotte USA, 18 February 2019
51. Attending All-Stars Basketball | Charlotte USA, 17 — 18 February 2019
52. Attending Munich Security Conference | Munich, Germany, 14 February 2019
53. Attending Milken Middle East and North Africa Summit | Abu Dhabi, UAE, 13 February 2019
54. Attending World Government Summit | Dubai, UAE, 13 February 2019
55. Attending Ordinary Session of the African Union | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 11 February 2019
56. Attending the 20th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community Heads of State | Arusha, Tanzania, 1 February 2019
57. Attending the World Economic Forum | Davos, Switzerland, 22 — 24 January 2019
58. Attending high-level consultation meeting of heads of state on the situation in DRC | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 17 January 2019
59. Making an official visit to Japan | Tokyo, Japan, 8 January 2019